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2007 MINI Cooper S Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
28
Latest Aug 26, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
11%
of 249 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 MINI Cooper S submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 28 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming airbag

The 25 most recent of 28, in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Aug 26, 2019

PASSENGER SEAT MAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR/PAD HAS GONE BAD AGAIN AFTER THE RECALL.*DT SAFETY RECALL REPORT XXX-XXX 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

NHTSA ID
11246321
Incident
Aug 5, 2019
Mileage
52,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 8, 2017
Crash reported1 injury reported

CAR CRASH MAY 30, 2017, DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING GREAT BODILY INJURY TO DRIVER.. DRIVER WAS TRAVELING 25 MPH IN TOWN AT AROUND 10:30 A.M.. DRIVER HAD A STROKE, PASSED OUT, CROSSED OVER TO OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD AND HIT AN UNOCCUPIED PARKED CAR. THAT CAR HIT ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE AND CHAIN REACTION LEFT FOUR CARS IN THE ACCIDENT. STATE FARM OR GENE'S AUTO BODY SHOP HAVE PHOTOS.

NHTSA ID
10993982
Incident
May 30, 2017
Mileage
29,500 mi
Airbags
Filed Sep 27, 2016

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ERRATIC, SOMETIMES IT WORKS, MOST TIMES NOT.

NHTSA ID
10910019
Incident
Sep 20, 2016
Mileage
120,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 9, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE MAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

NHTSA ID
10894488
Incident
Jul 21, 2016
Mileage
39,000 mi
AirbagsElectricalSeat belts
Filed Jun 28, 2016

2007 MINI COOPER S, HATCHBACK. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG (OFF) LIGHT, INDICATING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS DISARMED, IS ON AT ALL TIMES REGARDLESS OF PASSENGER. ADDITIONALLY, THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS FOR MY AIRBAG SYSTEM AND SEATBELT ARE ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. THE CODES IDENTIFIED BY THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN HONOLULU INDICATE THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAS A FAULT. LOOKING UNDER THE SEAT, IT COULD BE A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS OR FAULTY CONNECTER AS THEY APPEAR VULNERABLE TO SEAT MOVEMENT FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE MINI DEALERSHIP ALSO STATED THE OBNOXIOUSLY EXPENSIVE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK-ORDER.

NHTSA ID
10881329
Incident
Apr 19, 2016
Mileage
98,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Apr 26, 2016

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED AND CANNOT BE RESET DUE TO A FAULTY OCCUPATION SENSOR. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THIS WILL CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO MALFUNCTION IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND COSTS OVER $1000 TO REPAIR AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ID
10861598
Incident
Apr 4, 2015
Mileage
69,721 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 1, 2016

MY VEHICLE IS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE YELLOW "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE IS ALWAYS ON. THE AIRBAG LIGHT AND THE BUCKLE LIGHT ARE ALWAYS ON. THESE LIGHTS ARE ON REGARDLESS WHETHER THERE IS A FRONT PASSENGER. THE CAR WAS NEVER IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENTS AND THE AIRBAGS WERE NEVER DEPLOYED. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN NOV 2013 AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON PERMANENTLY DURING EARLY 2015. AS I FOUND OUT RECENTLY, A FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THESE DAYS AND THE PAST YEAR, WITHOUT KNOWING THE DANGER OF A FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY WIFE AND SOMETIME MY MOTHER AROUND. I CAN NOT IMAGINE INVOLVING IN AN ACCIDENT WITH SOMEONE SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HOPE BMW/MINI CAN ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ASAP.

NHTSA ID
10823369
Incident
Feb 2, 2015
Airbags
Filed Dec 23, 2015

AIRBAG LIGHT WILL NOT GO OUT, ALL THESE [XXX] MINI COOPERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS, THIS IS PRETTY IMPORTANT...MINI WANTS $1500 TO REPAIR A KNOWN ISSUE...HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED TO DIE BEFORE MINI IS FORCED TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPAIR THESE [XXX] CARS????????????????? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10811843
Incident
May 20, 2015
Mileage
125,000 mi
AirbagsElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Sep 8, 2015

AIR BAG LIGHT TURNED ON. PERFORMED A FAULT SURVEY AND FOUND THERE IS 1 RELATED FAULT CODE IN THE MRS CONTROL UNIT. PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR, NOT CURRENTLY PRESENT, OCCURRED 12 TIMES. NEED TO REPLACE THE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR AND RE PROGRAM THE MRS CONTROL UNIT. TOTAL REPLACEMENT COST: $1,164.47 CALLED MINI HEADQUARTERS AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL FOR MY SPECIFIC CAR. HOWEVER, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE 2005, 2006 MINI COOPER HAD A RECALL FOR THE SEAT SENSOR. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THE 2007 MODEL AS WELL.

NHTSA ID
10762152
Incident
Sep 26, 2014
Mileage
78,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 22, 2015

FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DETECTION MAT BECAME INOPERABLE AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES. MY CAR IS MFG 4 MONTHS OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL TIME FRAME YET THIS VERY SAME MFG DATE IS WELL WITHIN THE "CONVERTIBLE MODELS" RECALL DATE. I FEEL THE "NON-CONVERTIBLE MODELS" RECALL TIME FRAME SHOULD BE RE-EVALUATED BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY OF US WITH THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO MINI TO BE FIXED THEY TOLD ME THEY'VE SEEN MANY VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL RECALL DATES WITH THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
10758598
Incident
Jan 1, 2014
Mileage
62,000 mi
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Jul 15, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE RUN POSITION, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

NHTSA ID
10734138
Incident
Jan 1, 2015
Mileage
73,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 19, 2015

AT ANY GIVEN SPEED OR CONDITION THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, MEANING THAT THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH . IN SOME INSTANCES THE LIGHTS WILL DISAPPEAR, BUT AT OTHER TIMES THE LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. IT IS OF GREAT CONCERN THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED AS A DEFECTIVE PART, BUT BECAUSE MY PRODUCTION DATE IS MERELY ONE MONTH OFF THERE IS NO RELIEF . IT SEEMS CONCERNING THAT THERE MAY BE A NUMBER OF THESE UNSAFE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, BUT GIVEN THE DELAY TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE RECALL, MANY LIVES MAY UNKNOWINGLY BE AT RISK.

NHTSA ID
10726138
Incident
Jun 19, 2015
Mileage
64,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 3, 2015

AFTER CODES ARE CLEARED ON CAR, THERE IS NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS LONG AS NO PASSENGERS SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ONCE A PASSENGER SITS IN THE SEAT, FOLLOWING THE CODE CLEARING, THEN THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED PERMANENTLY.

NHTSA ID
10723156
Incident
Apr 1, 2014
Mileage
75,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 25, 2015

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG PAD COMPONENT WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE BY MY SERVICE CENTER. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. IT IS APPROXIMATELY AN $1100 PART TO REPLACE PLUS LABOR. REPORTS ON VARIED NEWS MEDIA HAVE THIS AS A RECALL. I FIND NO INSTANCE OF A RECALL FROM BMW/MINI

NHTSA ID
10721291
Incident
May 4, 2015
Mileage
73,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 15, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF A CRASH; HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

NHTSA ID
10716753
Incident
May 11, 2015
Mileage
73,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Apr 20, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,500. UPDATED 7/10/15*CN UPDATED 07/16/15.*JB

NHTSA ID
10711787
Incident
Dec 20, 2014
Mileage
40,500 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Nov 12, 2014

WHEN PASSENGERS OR ITEMS WERE PLACED ON THE PASSENGER SEAT THE SEATBELT AND AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE DASH, BUT WOULD GO OUT AFTER PASSENGER OR ITEMS WERE REMOVED, AND/OR SEATBELT WAS FASTENED. AS OF NOW BOTH THE AIRBAG WARNING AND SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, AT ALL TIMES, ON THE DASH AND WILL NOT RETURN TO NORMAL STATE WHETHER SEATBELT IS FASTENED OR NOT. THE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM IS NOW DISABLED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING OPERATION DUE TO THESE FAILURES (AIRBAG/SEATBELT NOT READY STATE). *TR

NHTSA ID
10654292
Incident
Jul 14, 2012
Mileage
80,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 7, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID
10619567
Incident
Jun 9, 2014
Mileage
100,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 20, 2014

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHTS UP. NO ONE HAS EVER SAT IN THE SEAT. REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $1,600.00. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10592699
Incident
Mar 1, 2013
Mileage
70,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Dec 30, 2013

SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. 28, 2013. I GO DOWNTOWN WITH MY GIRLFRIEND. SHE HAS A BIG BAG SO WE LET THE PASSENGER SEAT UP TO PUT HER BAG IN THE BACK SEAT. AS SOON AS SHE SITS DOWN AND WE BEGIN TO DRIVE AIR BAG LIGHT IN THE ROOF AND PRE BELT TENSIONER GOES OFF. I CHECK THE SEAT AND SEAT BELT. NOTHING VISIBLY WRONG. MY GIRLFRIEND IS 5'4 120 LBS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND FIND OUT BMW WHO MAKES MINI COOPER KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND ISSUED A RECALL ON EARLIER YEARS BUT LATER YEARS NEED A RECALL AS WELL AS THIS IS ANGLING DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE ISSUE TO FIX. YOU CAN FIND PROBLEMS ALL OVER THE NET REGARDING THIS ISSUE. MAKE BMW-MINI COOPER FIX THIS ISSUE THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10557915
Incident
Dec 28, 2013
Mileage
50,100 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 1, 2012

RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WARNING CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER SAYS CLOCK SPRING FAILED COST 1300 TO REPAIR NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR A RECALL AND THE CAR AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IF NOT REPAIRED. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED MY 2005 TRUCK FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE AIR BAGS IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE FOR BMW / MINI PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID
10482916
Incident
Oct 18, 2010
Mileage
58,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 11, 2012
Crash reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT TRAVELED OVER A SLICK AREA IN THE ASPHALT. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, ROLLED OVER AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH UPSIDE DOWN. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CRASH CAUSED NO INJURIES AND THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THE FAILURE WAS NOT INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,500.

NHTSA ID
10461176
Incident
May 31, 2012
Mileage
74,500 mi
Airbags
Filed Jan 9, 2011

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WHEN AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. MINI SAYS IT CANNOT FIX IT BECAUSE THE COMPUTER HAS NO ERRORS STORED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10375285
Incident
Dec 10, 2010
Mileage
35,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 11, 2009

AIRBAG LIGHT ON SPEEDOMETER/TACH, NOT IN OVERHEAD CONSOLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10273577
Incident
May 11, 2009
Mileage
33 mi
Airbags
Filed Sep 27, 2008

FOR ONE YEAR MY 2007 MINI COOPER S HAS HAD A DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM AS IT DISABLES WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED AND THE VEHICLE IS EITHER STOPPED OR IN MOTION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10243605
Incident
Aug 28, 2007
Mileage
1,500 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .